shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Carbon Copy Cloner (Bombich Software)?

Advanced backup and copying software for macOS. Bootable backups, scheduled backups, snapshots, and restore. - bombich.com

Worth it. Buy it if you're a Mac user who wants scheduled, bootable local backups or painless migration to a bigger drive. Skip it if you only need simple file backup — free Time Machine or cloud services cover that.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 20+ public sources; mostly forum discussion. No aggregate ratings or official paid pricing found in evidence.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo evidence in sources reviewed
  • Security postureNo security page or findings in evidence

Pricing

$0

Free trial

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo

Best for

  • Mac power users with real backup needs
  • Photographers and pros with large drives
  • Anyone migrating to a bigger disk
  • Multi-Mac setups needing scheduled clones

Not for

  • Windows users — CCC will not run on Windows
  • Casual users — free built-in Time Machine suffices
  • Anyone wanting set-and-forget cloud backup
  • People who won't maintain external drives

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Bootable clones can break on new macOS releases; verify compatibility before relying on it

medium

No published security page, audits, or disclosure policy

low

30-day trial only — no free version for ongoing use

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Bootable backups, scheduled tasks, and snapshots in one tool
  • Free 30-day trial before any payment
  • Runs natively on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs
  • Consistently recommended across Mac forums as a top backup pick
  • Users call it the simplest method to migrate to a larger drive

Cons

  • Mac only — will not run on Windows
  • CCC 6 cannot create bootable copies of macOS Golden Gate
  • Vendor publishes no public security page

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 10 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x1review x6security x1news x2

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Listed among digital subscriptions actually worth paying
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Called simplest method to migrate to larger drive
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Bootable clones, scheduling, snapshots, task scripting
  • Support quality. No evidence in sources reviewed
  • Security posture. No security page or findings in evidence
  • 30 days Free trial Full features before paying
  • macOS only Platform Native on Intel and Apple Silicon
  • CCC 7 Latest version Actively maintained with release notes

Pricing

Free trial

$0

  • Full features for 30 days

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Mac forum users overwhelmingly recommend CCC as their first-choice backup tool, especially for clones and disk migration.

“I personally prefer CCC from Bombich Software”
Mac-Forums
“Carbon Copy Cloner. There's a 30 day free trial. bombich.com.”
DPReview Forums
“I am looking at a backup solution and most of my research concludes that one of the best option”
MacRumors Forums
Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources; mostly forum discussion. No aggregate ratings or official paid pricing found in evidence.

Mature Mac backup tool enthusiasts love; overkill if free Time Machine or cloud backup covers you.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources; mostly forum discussion. No aggregate ratings or official paid pricing found in evidence.

Sources

  1. Carbon Copy Cloner — Bombich Softwarebombich.com
    official
  2. Carbon Copy Cloner — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    news
  3. Time Machine or a third party backup — DPReviewdpreview.com
    review
  4. Rescue iMac 24" & Setup Correctly — Mac-Forumsmac-forums.com
    review
  5. Bombich Software Reviews — Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  6. Bombich.com Website Review — Gridinsoftgridinsoft.com
    security
  7. Digital subscriptions actually worth paying for — Benablebenable.com
    review
  8. Carbon Copy Cloner Alternatives — TuskBackuptuskbackup.com
    review
  9. The Topics — Friends with Brewsfriendswithbrews.com
    review
  10. Bombich Software Updates CCC 5.1 — MacObservermacobserver.com
    news

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